The instant invention relates to the field of germicidal and disinfectant compositions. These germicidal and disinfectant compositions are used in conjunction with prepackaged wipes and kits.
Blood and other bodily fluids (e.g. urine, feces, vomit) contain various infectious agents, including bacteria and viruses. Similarly, interior and exterior body surfaces, including most prominently mucous membranes, also have various infectious agents on their surfaces. Thus, in a variety of disaster, emergency, and non-emergency situations, where exposure to these contaminated fluids and surfaces can occur, there is a need to neutralize and remove these infectious agents with effective germicides in order to prevent secondary infection of a variety of individuals, including medical and emergency response personnel as well as family, friends, and other bystanders.
Due to the increased numbers of individuals potentially harboring these infectious agents, there is a growing concern among emergency response teams, military and civilian medical and dental staff, law enforcement personnel and, more recently, even travel and tourist personnel, educators, and co-workers over the possibility of coming in contact with a variety of infectious agents, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, and, more recently, anthrax and smallpox. Examples of their concern would include, but not be limited to, the exposure that they experience in classrooms, athletic departments, the industrial workplace, hotels and motel suites, patrol cars, emergency response vehicles and public transportation. In addition, their concern and that of public health officials is heightened by the long-term viability of some of these infectious agents, such as hepatitis, and the lack of effective vaccines against some of these infectious agents, such as anthrax.
These concerns are not unfounded. While in a given population the presence of HIV and hepatitis is statistically extremely remote, in a gathering where the potential for a high incidence of these viruses is present, there is justification to be concerned. For instance, a chartered cruise ship or aircraft, a convention or rally held at a hotel or motel containing several thousand guests known to potentially be carriers of this virus. In the case of law enforcement, the persons involved would suggest a significant increase in the probability for encountering these viruses.
Germicides and disinfectants are a standard part of the arsenal used to combat these infectious agents. However, detergent formulations alone have been at best only moderately successful in killing germs and disinfecting fluids and surfaces. Addition of enzymes that can inactivate or kill germs can improve the effectiveness of these germicidal and disinfectant compositions. However, enzyme-containing compositions have known problems. Separation of the different components of an aqueous composition containing an enzyme or enzymes into different layers or phases (termed phase separation) and a resulting decrease in germicidal and disinfectant capacity is known to occur.
Additionally, since enzymes themselves are proteins, they can digest each other. Further, enzymes must maintain a certain chemical configuration or shape in order to remain active. A change to that configuration which results in inactivation is called denaturation. Heat, unfavorable pH, and other such conditions may result in denaturation or partial denaturation of enzymes present in a germicidal and disinfectant composition, thus decreasing the shelf-life of the composition or at least rendering it less effective with time. Thus, formulating an effective germicidal and disinfectant composition containing enzymes that remains phase stable and that maintains enzymatic activity has proven difficult. Further, many such compositions contain phosphates and other chemicals that can pollute the environment.
Various patents have proposed ways to stabilize single enzyme type detergent compositions that can potentially act as germicides and disinfectants. U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,528 provides an aqueous enzyme composition wherein the enzyme is an amylase. A water-soluble calcium salt, and an organic stabilizing agent such as 1,3-propanediol or an aliphatic glycol are illustrated as stabilizers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,082 discloses a homogeneous proteolytic enzyme-containing liquid detergent composition containing saturated fatty acids. U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,030 provides liquid detergents with an aromatic borate ester to inhibit proteolytic enzyme degradation of the enzymes in the composition.
The instant invention provides a liquid germicide and disinfectant composition that contains detergent and at least two enzymes, an enzyme stabilizing system a detergent and water. The composition is adapted to cause lysis of glycoprotein in infectious agents. Such agents can include viruses such as HIV, smallpox and all forms of hepatitis, including the extremely dangerous hepatitis C. Methods for using the germicide and disinfectant composition as are also provided. The composition may be incorporated into a pre-moistened prepackaged wiper that allows the user to remove liquid or dried contaminated material without coming into direct contact with the contaminated material. The composition, with or without its prepackaged wiper, may be incorporated into a potentially disposable kit that is designed to decontaminate fluids and surfaces containing germs and infectious agents, thus allowing the user to remove liquid or dried contaminated material without coming into direct contact with the contaminated material. The composition may be provided in a re-sealable bag for both pre-use storage and disposal. Such bag may be everted to form a mitt.